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Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Let me have it (answers, not a pot roast)

For those of you who do not follow me on Facebook, the other day I got a hilarious email from Jake Finch, one of my overlords at Quilter's Home, which was apparently written around 1 a.m. and after who knows how many cocktails, wondering at great length why all the wangs from the Japanese Penis Festival were all circumcised, and were the Japanese secretly Jewish, and something about bonsais and pruning. And I was all, gee, Jake, don't you know that 98% of all Japanese men are uncircumcised and that those were all supposed to be ERECT wieners and that it's actually kind of hard to tell the difference between an uncircumcised trouser snake and a circumcised one when it is all up and ready for action, at least on first glance when doing a Google image search? Because I've never actually encountered an untrimmed bratwurst in real life (I once had a friend whose boyfriend was both intact and somewhat large - or so she claimed - and she said it looked like a pot roast), and NOW, THANKS TO JAKE, this is kind of a weird goal I have. Not one I'm going to pursue actively or anything, but just that, you know, IF David should suddenly kick off or file for divorce or something, and IF I should ever feel comfortable dating again, I MIGHT limit my dating pool to Europeans and Asians and whatever other cultures do not desecrate their dicks (presumably most of them). NO WAIT. I totally forgot the kid that lived down the street when I was like five and we went into his bathroom one time and played I'll Show You Mine If You Show Me Yours! It was like a tiny pig-in-a-blanket! Never mind. I can cross that off my bucket list now.

So, right, Facebook. None of that was on Facebook. What I DID mention on FB was that Jake had also taken the opportunity (in a second email, no less) to tell me to STOP PIN BASTING MY QUILTS. She says that 505 Spray & Baste is totally the way to go, and she hasn't pinned a thing in 10 years. I expressed my skepticism and then offered the question to my Facebook peeps: pin or spray? I got so many responses that Jake and Melissa (my other QH overlord) and I decided to make an article out of it: The Great Quilt Debates. So, I want to know what all you non-Facebooky people have to say. Give your answer in the comments, and I may quote you in the article, using only your first name and maybe a city/state. Two more questions will be posited here in the next few days, after you've had enough time to weigh in.

And if you have any opinions on pot roasts, I'd be happy to hear those as well.

Spray all the way - I've never pinned! Tip - you may want to put something down to catch the overspray, or else your hubs will be pissed when you get spray baste all over the BRAND NEW hardwood floors. I personally don't make many efforts to ventilate when spraying either - I must like the fumes!

I'm going to pass on the pot roasts-you do such a good job!I usually pin, but I think I'd spray if I could find the spray on this island (Oahu).My LQS has tried to carry it, but can't find any supplier who will ship it! I brought some back from LA the last time I was there, & it worked great.It was supposed to be good for 3 quilts, but I used almost the whole can for 1 so I think I overdid it a tad!

I pin since that's what I first learned. Spraying sounds too messy for me. As for debates the biggest ones in quilting I've read about were pinning vs. Spraying, prewashing or not fabric before use, pressing to one side or open, and cotton thread vs. Other types or brand of thread. Sounds like a great article. Maybe you should have a poll.

Spray all the way. I could not get things smooth when pinning. Just the act of putting in the pin and fastening it closed pulls the fabric from the surface and then lays back down, sometimes causing ripples. And I did not want to put in as many as I really needed to keep it secure (read: lazy). With spray the whole thing can be smoothed perfectly. And it stays. I have two lap size quilts, spray basted, waiting to be actually quilted, that are folded up and moved around quite a bit. And they are still ready to go, even a few months later. I love it.

And I can quilt with much more concentration as I don't have to worry about where my next pin is and when I should take it out. I hate that game of chicken. Will you get that next little section done without hitting the pin, or will the pin get in the way and blow the rythym.

I have heard concern that the spray is bad for your needles and/or machine. But since I did not pay the equivalent of a small car for my machine, I am good with it. Spray on.

Oh, one more thing on the joy of spraying. If you get your husband or other unsuspecting volunteer to help, you can baste 3 big quilts in less than 30 minutes. Seriously. And we spray in the garage for the mess. We have carpet (previous owners) but you could easily put down a tarp, drop cloth or old sheet. No problem. You're going to wash the thing for the crinkliness anyhow when you're done, right? (Sorry, that was two things.)

I've also been spraying for about 10 years. I don't use 505 but another spray I buy locally which is much cheaper, not as smelly and holds well. I also find that irregularities in the quilt (God forbid I have coolie hats, wrinkles or such) tend to behave much better when they've been sprayed. I used to have well over 500 pins, now, I have very few, and I like it like that!

As to your other question--I'm having trouble with the pot roast idea but agree with your pigs in a blanket. Of course, I have a son who was not circumcised so I'm an "expert", right? Lurking Linda

Spray, spray, spray, spray, spray, spray, spray!!! I have been pricked by my last pin, my friend. I LOVE the spray. Swear by it, and have procrastinated basting perfectly good quilts when I had plenty of time to quilt them merely because I was out of spray.

I own a can of spray but it's been sitting for a long time because all I remember is the stickyness everywhere. Wait -- isn't that a perfect segue into the meatloaf discussion? (all I'll add is that my DH is a heathen with a pig in a blanket)

I used only a tack gun on my first quilt and it got wrinkles. I used 505 on the second quilt, with tacks on the edges and it's fantastic. Never was tempted to pin as it looks like it would be a tedious nightmare.

As for weiners, I'm an American married to an Englishman living in the UK, and he's still got 100% of his 'wing wang', as my tween calls it. It kinda looks like a cross between a sad old man and squidged sausage in a casing. But when it's, um, alert it just looks like they all do - the last chicken in the shop and all that...

I used to pin, then I sprayed. Pinning is hard on the back and fingers, though the spoon method helps with the latter problem. Spray is messy and expensive but it's quick. I tried a couple of different sprays and they don't all hold equally well. The first spray I used was Elmer's which listed quilts but was not soley for that. It was the cheapest and held the best. Now I have a 3 roller quilt frame and I machine quilt. I prefer this last system.

I pin mostly because I have pins and I don't have spray. If I had to rationalize my choice to continue using pins I would have to say it's because they are better for the environment and because pinning gives me the opportunity to admire my work more closely (and catch stray threads).

I don't spray OR pin - I use "fusible" batting on the quilts that I quilt myself. It eliminates both having to use pins and the mess/fumes/smell of the sprays. It's great!! My larger quilts get sent to my long-arm quilter/friend. I let her do the basting and quilting for me - that's what friends are for!

I have never pinned, I just don't know how many pins it would take and how do you quilt around those pins, is that some free motion I don't know. Anyway, I have sprayed and I also like fusible batting, not the cheap stuff, which will leave you crying. As far as pot roast, well, my memory may be faulty, but not pot roast and not a little monk either. Let me think about it. I'll let you know.

In the past, I pinned the quilts. The last quilt I used the 505 spray and it seems to be holding quite well. I read about using Aqua Net hair spray and plan on using that for my next quilt - just to try it out. It would be a lot cheaper and easier to find then the 505.cindy

I pin and pin and pin and pin. I HATE pinning. The older I get ....well, just straightening up after a session on the floor is painful. And not once but twice I have stitched into my finger playing chicken with the pins. Spray sounds like a good idea but I can not find 505 in my small town. My ideal fix would be a long arm. Ohhh how I covet a longarm.

I pinned my first couple of quilts, then discovered basting spray and I've never looked back! I tape my batt to the living room floor, hang the back of the quilt on my clothesline and spray it, then bring it in and apply it to the batt; trim the batt to size, then flip it and re-tape it to the floor. Outside to the clothesline again to spray the front of the quilt, inside to apply it to the batt, and you're all done in about half an hour, and only about 10-15 minutes of that down on the floor! If only I could figure out a way to do it on the wall! (I'm working on that...)

Tell Anonymous that Rave hairspray works ok for things you don't have to roll to quilt, like mug rugs, coasters, potholders, and small quilts, but it is not repositionable and doesn't hold well if you roll the quilt. It is a lot cheaper, though, so I keep a can on hand for small jobs.

Spray basting has eliminated most pinches on the back of my quilts, which endeared it to me from the start. I'm now trying to train myself to use a quilting frame and faux-longarm quilter, so I won't be using the spray as much, but it's awesome stuff!!

I tried pinning a couple of times...hated doing it and hated trying to quilt around the pins. Tried tacking....also a PITA. Don't like the messy spray, some sprays gum up your machine works, and anything that smells that badly for that long can't be good for you or the quilt. My solution was a longarm, or you can send out to a longarmer, or try Sharon Schamber's method of basting....still basting, but no pins. Look her basting video up on You Tube or her website in the Free Videos section.

Pin. And tho it's a pain in the arse taking them out because I usually get to a point where I refuse to take off my f-ing gloves AGAIN, I just can't trust something with the consistensy of hairspray to hold it all together.

I've pinned, and gotten some nasty wrinkles in the backing. Probably from lack of experience, but it warped my perceptions.

I currently spray. I use my linoleum floor and blue painter's tape, to make sure the backing is nice and non-wrinkled. I lay out the batting and get out those wrinkles next. I then lay out the quilt top. Once everything looks good (enough) and there is plenty of backing material around all 4 sides, I then peel back half the batting and quilt top, spray, then press down the batting, respray for the quilt top, then press that back into place. I turn around and do the second half. It's quick, it's pretty easy (although with age, my knees definitely wish I had a carpeted surface), and it keeps the fabric wrinkles from showing. Now if only I could use it on my face.

As for your second topic; my former husband was trimmed man-meat. My two sons are unscathed. Both look okay to me.

Pin, tried everything else. Tacks don't hold tight enough. Spray gums the sewing machine needle.Not only does Japan have festivals with large sculptural dodads, they also have Shrines with those same art works displayed in front of shrine. Makes for a great photographic moment, but not one you put into the family album.

I quilt for myself and others on my home sewing machine. I have received a few spray basted quilts from clients; dislike it intensely. Gums up the machine and there were folds glued into the batting layer. When I baste, I use straight pins. Quick to insert, quick to remove and I am a lot less likely to sew over one.

I started using the Sharon Schambers method of basting with DMC floss and base boards. Takes longer but I can do it sitting down & watching tv & my back doesn't kill me afterwards. It works really well for hand or machine quilting. Here's a link to the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhwNylePFAA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_EjBGz5vGQ

I'm trying to reduce the number of random chemicals that get onto or into my body. I don't use packaged shampoo or laundry detergent and I started making my own soap. Spray basting doesn't really fit with my esthetic.

Also, I'm not sure how I'd detach the dog hair from the quilt if it was covered with adhesive.

Neither really. I won't use the spray baste due to chemicals and I don't want to take the chance of gumming up my fancy shmancy sewing machine.

Pins are ok for some small things.

Usually I just use my sewing machine to baste (if I'm going to baste at all). Sew a few stitches, snip, move the project 12 inches along, then sew a few more stitches, snip. Repeat.

The trick is to either use a contrasting color of thread if you are anal (like me) and are going to want to un-baste your quilt after quilting. Or use a matching thread and let the snips work themselves out in the wash over time. Or you can get your 4-year old to pick them out for you.

Deborah in Asheville, NC

Re: Pot roast or sausage....my husband is Jewish and I've seen a couple of pot roasts. I'll take the sausage.

I spray my quilts. I've quilted many a quilt basted with spray and have never had it gum up on the needle. The part I hate it crawling around on the floor to do the spraying. I think it was Patsy Thompson's website that shows how she pins her backing to the wall to spray. I just don't have a large enough wall space I want to have covered with pinnable board all the time.

I'm old and can't do the floor thing so I started spraying and LOVE it! Will only use 505....everything else was gummy. Sometimes, I add a pin to a corner, but the spray holds but is also repositionable. I'm a believer!!!!

Chemical smells really bother me, so I pin baste. A long time ago, a teacher at a guild workshop recommended spray basting. She said to only do little squirts all over, instead of heavily spraying. Then, she would pat the fabric onto the batting, rather than smoothing and stretching. It seemed like it would save a lot of time. But, killer headaches keep me from spraying.

I pin baste because 1. I avoid change and have been pin basting for years2. I avoid aerosols if at all possible and don;t have anywhere large and weather proof enough to spray baste in a well enough ventilated area- and if I did I would probably still avoid aerosols, not really liking the idea of a full face shield and an N95 mask as part of my quilting regalia3. I want to wait a hundred years and see if all those spray basted quilts fall apart from chemical deterioration(PS I don't understand all those options for leaving an email address and becoming your "friend" but I do love your blog, so will have to remain anonymous)

I pin with safety pins so I don't draw blood.My lungs are the type that seize up at any exposure to anything scented, unscented, chemically, droplety opportunity, so I'm not even going to try the spray baste - I'm just to lazy to spend the following 3 hours in emerg.So pins it is.My DS in 'intact'. Did you know there is an iPhone App for 'intactivism?" Apparently is less that 5 bucks. Just in case anyone is interested.

I pin with safety pins so I don't draw blood.My lungs are the type that seize up at any exposure to anything scented, unscented, chemically, droplety opportunity, so I'm not even going to try the spray baste - I'm just to lazy to spend the following 3 hours in emerg.So pins it is.My DS in 'intact'. Did you know there is an iPhone App for 'intactivism?" Apparently is less that 5 bucks. Just in case anyone is interested.

As for the pin or spray....neither do I employ. I'm a "Quilt As You Goer" and I bat up my blocks as they are finished and since the pieces are manageable, I can easily baste with thread and needle with the blocks taped to my cutting table and it's all easy peasy. No bending down to the floor or anything disagreeable like that.

I used to spray only but had trouble with the back sometimes pleating so now I spray and also pin just a bit evenly all over, now I don't have any problems with the fabric moving and I can't say enough how much you need to use a walking foot if you're straight line quilting and for binding. btw, I live with a "natural one" and there's no differance in the end, so to speak.